Hey there everyone, just found this neat place while looking for info on supposedly haunted old asylums, but I've only been able to sadly debunk many things I've heard. For instance, from everything going back to the 1930 US Census, Undercliff seems to be a tuberculosis hospital that eventually became a school until it closed. The real estate information says the "Former Undercliff School" is a 9 acre plot at 72 Undercliff Road, Meriden CT 06451, vacant, but it was never an insane asylum as I'd been told by my sister when I was a kid. I grew up in Meriden, so that one was always my favorite. From satellite photos and maps, I can see Undercliff Road (which I've driven past many times but never entered) has operating buildings only at the very beginning, then curves to the back and ends in a cul-de-sac loop where the big old scary place should be. I figure you can park at Target and try to walk through the woods around back, or park down on Resevoir Street behind it and walk up that way.

Also, unless there is an old one, Cedarcrest on Russel Road in Newington is still fully operational, but all the phone and fax numbers for the hospital start with 666-####. Not that I'm reading into this at all, I just think that's really funny. I didn't think that prefix was ever used for phone numbers, like how only movie and TV numbers start with 555.

Oh, and I've been to Elmcrest, my sister also spent some time there, though they did get shut down for a bit for "restraining" a boy to death (restraining was when they paged Dr. Strong to a location, and all able bodied men would gather there and hold a patient down, often just lying on top of them). When they reopened they had a new name last time I knew, my sister even went back there as an intern... nasty place, but not haunted that I know of. Here's the link to the boy's death, it's the last paragraph all the way at the bottom:

So, I am in New Haven and always interested in gathering for a little investigation and discussion. 25/m, I assume weekends are best for most people, but any day except Wednesdays and Thursdays is good for me.

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I have been to this location in Meriden (Exit 5 off 691 make a left off the exit and Undercliff road is immediately on the right hand side) many times as a teenager and have never gotten chased out by the police. The building was in ruins and completely unsafe then and this was 1990-1991. We got the chance to explore the entire building. It appeared to be burned on the top floor, and filled with crumbled bricks and old pipes and electrical wires and debris........I still have copies of old endorsed checks that were I guess payment for residency there, somewhere in a box. The basement contained beds that were built into the walls and had caged fronts on them, I guess for the unruley patients. I still dont know what the "true" history is on this building, as you read so many different things on the subject. I've heard it was for people with severe profound disabilities, I have heard its was to treat patients with TB, I have also heard it was a place to treat people with addictions. WHO REALLY knows.......Like the State is going to ever tell. I got many creepy feelings there and I would love to go back and explore this place again. Now that I am a resident of Meriden and I have children this might be a nice treat for me at Halloween...........

At one point, yes, it was used for TB patients.
Hun, you went a very long time ago. Places like this are HIGHLY patrolled nowadays, and there is a NO TRESSPASSING sign just to drive down the road. I am not sure I would recommend going.

Boston, you know we love you madly,Hear the crowd roar to your sound,Don't blame us if we ever doubt you,You know we couldn't live without you, Tessie, you are the only only only (RED SOX YOU ARE THE ONLY ONES)~Dropkick Murphys

Elmcrest is still open. Not sure what it is called, as they keep changing the name. I'm too fat and pregnant to be running from the cops, so I feel your pain!!

i have been to elmcrest about5 or 6 years ago a bunch of times. it is now called st. francis behavioral and has a unit called the challenger house but i dont know the other units as i have never been there since elmcrest was changed to a residential facility. i have been to a lot of psych hospitals so if any 1 has questions email me a ranmasaotome120484@yahoo.com alson my friend (i will not name her but will name her initials) y.s. was there when andrew mclain was killed in a restraint. i have been restrained a number of times and once at elmcrest they put me in the "burrito" and my fever reached almost 106 so they had to rush me to a hospital. it was an ok place... not too bad... good food friendly staff but not the best place

I think it's Rushford now * I will have to check after work tomorrow, it is only a few minutes down the road*
I've had a few friends in Elmcrest *three actually* and actually no horror stories from them...except a big controversy when one of them had an affair with their shrink...big law suit, etc..Drama!h

Boston, you know we love you madly,Hear the crowd roar to your sound,Don't blame us if we ever doubt you,You know we couldn't live without you, Tessie, you are the only only only (RED SOX YOU ARE THE ONLY ONES)~Dropkick Murphys

my sister went there awhile back probably 10 years or more by know and when she had went there the staff wasnt pleasant the food sucked i ate there one day and it wasnt the greatest place to be......i wasnt really surprised when that kid died there.......it never came up that it was haunted though.....the people that stayed there never once had any problems with hauntings......

i finally went to undercliff a couple of years back....just like you i had passed the road and i never even noticed it....then one day someone told me about it and i decided to check it out and actually went up the road.......the back buildings are still in use and most of the buildings are still in use.....the one that is really abandoned is a little 3 to 4 story building hidden by trees and such as you drive in but once you start to drive out you will see it.........i am not sure what building everyone refers to but this seems like the most likely. i actually had no problem with security but signs are posted and people did cast a weary eye as we drove past........i also did not step out to take a closer look......let me know about what anyone else has seen or actually has visited the buildings in there

The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross, and which to burn. And don't worry because the world will still be broken tomorrow.</a>

I am quite surprised nobody has mentioned the Norwich State Hospital in Preston which is very lightly patrolled, if at all, and a popular place in Southeastern Connecticut for people looking for paranormal activity. It is off of Route 12 and very old, definately worth a closer look I should say.

Wow! Actually, that Norwich location is what got me onto this site! My roommate's dad used to work there before it closed I think he said in the 1980s or so, and there were supposed to be several buildings. One for males and a perfect duplicate building across the courtyard for females, then another for the criminally insane, but the best was some old tunnels that went underground to the oldest facility where some kind of torture and execution was supposed to have taken place, with shackles and such. However, then I heard of the CVH tunnels that are still in use, and I started thinking that was the place he meant.

Anyway, he also mentioned a strange little neighborhood that no one ever talks about. I guess back when it was used, the hospital actually had a whole system of residential houses built for the doctors and their families to live in right next to the facility, but no one ever really goes out there to the houses. He said it was like a suburban ghost town, all these cookie-cutter houses nice and friendly, but all completely deserted. Sounded creepy.

Hello Misty,
The place that you are looking for is in Meriden,just follow the directions that were posted.I can tell a few things that are true and others that are not reguarding Undercliff. Its name was changed to Altobello ( Henry D Altobello Children and Youth Center) it was a residential phyciatric hospital for adolesents .
It wasnt a home for metally or physically handicapped children.Prior to being a Altobello it was a TB Hospital. And as i have said on a prior post the place really,really is creepy.I was a patient at Altobello for about 3 months back in the 80's and i saw many parts of the building while it was still being used. It is true that there are tunnels under the main builing but not for torture or anything like that,but for getting patients around to diffrent parts of the property without anybody running off.And also the cottages that are there were used also to house patients ,when you were proven not to be a risk a run off and when they felt that you were improving and deserved more freedom. The other thing i can say about the cottages now is that i know as recently as 2 years ago a Ct state trooper lived in one of the cottages full time and was supposed to be patrolling the property but he is not there any more.Also , there is a part of the building that was there that i saw iwth my own eyes , that left such an impression that i still think about it once in a while,there is a morgue of sorts in the building it was small ,must have been used when it was a TB hospital. Why the staff felt the need to let a bunch of kids see that is beyond me.Not that theres anything inherently wrong with a morgue but when your 13, you dont need to know that there is a morgue in the building you are living in. And as far as it being haunted,well,i dont know even though i lived there,but i can tell for sure how it made me feel,that i remember very clearly
and when i think about all the people who lost their lives in there when it was a TB hospital i would really be more surprised if it wasnt.Also, if anybody here is ever interested in going there let me know i'd love to roam around with my camera!

Wow! Actually, that Norwich location is what got me onto this site! My roommate's dad used to work there before it closed I think he said in the 1980s or so, and there were supposed to be several buildings. One for males and a perfect duplicate building across the courtyard for females, then another for the criminally insane, but the best was some old tunnels that went underground to the oldest facility where some kind of torture and execution was supposed to have taken place, with shackles and such. However, then I heard of the CVH tunnels that are still in use, and I started thinking that was the place he meant.

Anyway, he also mentioned a strange little neighborhood that no one ever talks about. I guess back when it was used, the hospital actually had a whole system of residential houses built for the doctors and their families to live in right next to the facility, but no one ever really goes out there to the houses. He said it was like a suburban ghost town, all these cookie-cutter houses nice and friendly, but all completely deserted. Sounded creepy.

This is all true about the neighorhood for doctors and it was actually closed down ery recently, I think like 97' because my high school chorus performed there. I just wanted to mention though that it is ironically enough set up in a place called Happyland on the map.

i went to the cedar crest in newginton... i cant spell forgive me... there were no trespassing signs but was not garded by security .. but then again we went at 1-2 in the morning.. you have to jump the fence but there is a clear opening.... we went in side.. and as we got little closer we saw that the lights were on inside which we thought was wierd... then i swore i hear 2 guys talking about something and i heard walking above.. i just thought it was the people i with but as we left i asked and they said no one talked and someone else heard a little girl.. next time were gonna go farther... but it was creppy and a great place to go if ur bored....

Hello, regarding Norwich, it's an active construction site now. The area is patrolled by full time security, some people might not realized that because it takes them so long to patrol the entire grounds but they are there. Also, the ROTC from a local college drills at Norwich and practices close quarters combat there. If that's not enough, building inspectors now walk through the buildings and hallways on unscheduled visits.
It's not easy like it used to be, if your not experienced with the place then my advice is stay far away.

i've visited norwich numerous times, and yes, security is stepping up more and more. It is a great place to photograph during the day, and there are many strange things that happen at night. when walking the tunnels, the floor ahead of us would move as if someone was walking on it, but no one was there. i am planning another visit and was wondering if anyone had access to a map of the tunnels, there used to be one on a message board, but i can no longer find it. it gets pretty confusing down there, so any help would be great. they are planning to build upon it, so the chances of seeing the site are going down everyday.